About Me

Friday, August 27, 2010

On Thursday, August 19, 2010 I arrived in San Antonio. The deployment was over and that evening I made it back home to the Houston area. At our homecoming ceremony I prayed the invocation:

Father in Heaven-we thank you for all of your blessings. We thank you for the service of these brave soldiers. We thank you for the support given to these soldiers by their friends family and loved ones. Bless them all. In Jesus Holy Name we pray-Amen.

Then, at the close of the ceremony, I gave the benediction:

Dear Father in Heaven-we thank you that you have protected these soldiers and have brought them all home safely. We pray that you would continue to watch over them and protect them-hold them all in the hollow of your hand-and bless them in all of their endeavors. In Christ's Holy Name we pray. Amen.

It is good to be back home. I feel that the deployment went well overall-although it did have its challenges. I'm still adjusting to life back in the states.

New Aramaic Product: The Jewish Targums and John's Logos Theology by John Ronning

A superb study revealing the Aramaic tradition illuminates John's Logos. Focusing on the Targumim-interpretive translations of the Old Testament into Aramaic that were read in synagogues-Ronning examines numerous passages in the Forth Gospel showing how linking the targumic Memra unlocks the meaning of the theological themes threading through John's text.

Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture including Aramaic available

The "Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture" set is now available on CD-ROM. It is a little expensive at $385 (but is available from Christian Book Distributers at $299). This acclaimed series covers the second to the mid-eighth centuries and includes commentary from Greek, Latin, Coptic and Syriac Church Fathers.

"The Hammer of God" now available

My latest book "The Hammer of God" is now available. According to the Gospel of John, Jesus Christ celebrated the Festival of Hanukkah (John 10:22). Hanukkah celebrates the heroic exploits of Judas Maccabeus and his battle for religious freedom. These events occurred during the four-hundred silent years between the Old and New Testaments. The Seleucid Greeks that ruled over the Jewish people made observing Judaism a capital offense and ordered all copies of the Bible to be collected and burned. In the year 167 Before Christ, Judas Maccabaeus led the Jewish people into battle to preserve the Holy Bible and to establish religious liberty. Judas was called Maccabeus which means "the Hammer" in Aramaic. Centuries later, in the year 732 A.D, Charles Martel, known as "Charles the Hammer," fought to defend the religious liberties of the Christians and Jews in Europe when an army of Islamic terrorists threatened to eradicate Christianity in France. In The Hammer of God learn about the history of the battle for religious freedom, a battle that continues today.

The 9-11 Victory over America Triumphal "Ground Zero" Mosque

To celebrate their great victory in defeating the United States of America on 9-11-2001 radical Muslims are building a 12 storey mosque where extremist "Sharia" Islamic law will be taught. The goal of this Islamic center is to Islamicize America and introduce Sharia law into the United States. In Sharia law, thieves have their hands cut off and Christians and Jews are persecuted. Why the audacity and provocation in the building of this mosque? The reason is because we have convinced the Muslim extremists that we are weak and that we are already defeated. We refuse to defend ourselves from Islamic aggression. We have no heart for war and refuse to support the war effort and our troops who are serving and dying there. We are so cowardly that we freely give up our rights and condemn cartoonists for being critical of Islam. We allowed Theo Van Gough to be murdered on the street for making a documentary critical of Islam. Instead of staying the course in war, the American people vote in a president who is of an Islamic background who wants to disengage the enemy. By our cowardice we have emboldened our enemies. Imam Feizal Abdul-Rauf claims to be a moderate-but the man is indeed an extremist. He proves it by building the mosque over ground zero. (There are also many extremist statements that he has made in the past-showing that his sympathies are with the terrorists.) This mosque-in its attempt to introduce Sharia law in the United States is a threat to every non-Muslims freedom of religion. Imam Rauf's mosque is called the "Cordova House" after a mosque in Spain. After Islamic terrorists invaded Spain they went to the Cathedral of Saint Vincent. They tore it down and built a mosque in its place. This new mosque-the Cordova mosque symbolized how that Islam has superseded and has prevailed over Christianity and Judaism. The Cordova Muslims went on to slaughter Christians. The Christians who were murdered by the Cordova Muslims have been canonized as Saints in the Roman Catholic Church and are known as the "Cordova Martyrs." I would say-watch out America-it is coming here-but it has already arrived, hasn't it? We must stop this mosque from being built. So, what can we do? For ideas check out Dove Outreach Center www.doveworld.org. One more word about Obama. Obama makes an effort to reach out and find common ground with Muslims and even terrorists such as the Taliban-but he refuses to reach out and find common ground with Republicans and conservative Americans. When I was in Iraq, I would go to the dining facility in the morning for breakfast and the news would be on and every morning I had to listen to Obama saying how nothing is his fault-its all the prior administrations fault and that all the problems this country faces come from the Republican party. Soldiers found his comments personally insulting and highly offensive.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

The chaplaincy is about sharing the love of God and showing human compassion. I have counseled many soldiers with a wide range of issues-anger issues, marital issues and many other problems. I notified and provided comfort to several soldiers who suffered the loss of a loved one and endured many other tragedies. I have intervened with suicidal soldiers on several occasions. Often I was awoken in the middle of the night to assist a soldier in crisis. Many soldiers have come to my office. I was determined that rather than have soldiers come to me, I would go to them. I visited my wounded soldiers in the CSH [Combat Support Hospital]. During the most oppressive heat I visited my soldiers at all guard points-even going "outside the wire" to do so. During the late hours of the night I visited my soldiers who were on duty. I went on missions with my soldiers and visited my soldiers in downtown Baghdad. I looked out for distressed soldiers and interceded to help those in need. I listened to soldiers non-judgmentally. I made sure my Eastern Orthodox, Jewish and Islamic soldiers received religious coverage. I was determined that all my soldiers would see me and know who I am. I also served our Ugandan soldiers and the interpreters. I would let my soldiers know about religious services. Sometimes I would get the response, "Thanks, Chaplain, but I am not religious." I reply, "That's okay-I just want you to know that I am always here for you." In spite of myself, I know I have done good things here and have made a difference in the lives of many soldiers. I came on this deployment because I love soldiers. I believe in what America is doing in Iraq and I believe God called me here.

Within a few days I will be heading back home. First I have to stop at Kuwait and then we are going back to Fort Bliss.

Life in a Day

Youtube had a "Life in a Day" project in which people all around the world we asked to submit material from July 24th, 2010 documenting their life during that day so that Kevin Macdonald and Ridley Scott can use that material to make a movie about one day in the life of planet earth. I decided that it would be great for me to participate in that experiment. I filmed my day and submitted some video clips from it and posted them on youtube. You can see my "Life in a Day" videos at www.youtube.com/aramaic12. Of course, my "Life in a Day" is in Iraq.

Assyrian Martyrs Day

On August 7, 1933, over 300 Assyrian refugees were fired on with machine guns by the Iraqi government. The officers who carried out this massacre were given commendations. Assyrians remember this date every year as "Assyrian Martyrs Day." The Assyrians are the indigenous Aramaic Christians of Iraq.

Remember my Books

Remember the books I have available:

My books: The Words of Jesus in the Original Aramaic, Mary of Magdala, Treasures of the Language of Jesus, Aramaic: The Language of Jesus of Nazareth, Christ the Man and the upcoming The Hammer of God. From www.amazon.com.

My Comics: The Assyrians: The Oldest Christian People, Chronicles: Facts from the Bible, and "The Hammer of God" series. From www.comixpress.com.

LONDON – Saddam Hussein's leading lieutenant accused the United States of abandoning Iraq and leaving the country to die, according to a British newspaper interview to be published Friday. Tariq Aziz, whose long tenure as Saddam's foreign minister made him the international face of the Iraqi dictator's regime, was quoted by The Guardian newspaper a saying that he was hopeful about President Barack Obama at first. "I thought he was going to correct some of the mistakes of Bush," the paper quoted Aziz as saying from his jail cell in north Baghdad. "But Obama is a hypocrite. He is leaving Iraq to the wolves." The Guardian said that Aziz slammed the planned withdrawal of U.S. forces from the country, saying that both it and the United Kingdom had an obligation to make sure Iraq was back on its feet before exiting. "We are all victims of America and Britain," Aziz said, according to the paper. "They killed our country in many ways. When you make a mistake you need to correct a mistake, not leave Iraq to its death."Aziz, who was handed over to Iraqi authorities by the United States several months ago, refused to condemn his former boss, who was executed in December 2006. "If I speak now about regrets, people will view me as an opportunist," he told the paper. "When I am free and can write the truth." Aziz's appearance is one of several defendants in a long-running case in which he is accused of being part of a campaign targeting members of Iraq's Dawa Party, of which Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki is a member. Aziz, who has suffered several strokes, appeared frail at a court appearance last month. The Guardian's piece — which was due to be published in full in Friday's edition of the paper — offered no assessment of Aziz's condition, but said that his prison was "clean and well-managed." In the interview, Aziz offered a defense of his time as Saddam's deputy — and insight into the origins of the 2003 Iraq War. Saddam preferred to keep the world guessing about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, Aziz said. But he explained that it was more about maintaining Iraq's regional standing than pushing the country into conflict with the U.S. and Britain. "Partially it was about Iran," Aziz was quoted as saying. "They had waged war on us for eight years, so we Iraqis had a right to deter them. Saddam was a proud man. He had to defend the dignity of Iraq. He had to show that he was neither wrong nor weak. "Now Iran is building a weapons program. Everybody knows it and nobody is doing anything. Why?"

Tariq Aziz is an ethnic Iraqi Christian. I have met the man on several occasions (after he was taken into American custody). I think he belongs in jail. However, in this article I think he does make interesting points. I believe America needs to stay in Iraq indefinitely. I do not agree with everything the man has to say. It's something to think about. When I saw him-he looked very frail and I don't think that he is long for this world. I personally believe that invading Iraq was the right thing to do-as was the surge strategy. I believe that we need to have a permanent troop presence in Iraq. I think America ought to keep bases in BIAP, Talil, Balad and Ramadi. I am proud of what we have accomplished in Iraq and I hope we take steps to ensure that the change we have made here becomes permanent.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Within a few days I will be heading back home. First I have to stop at Kuwait and then we are going back to Fort Bliss.

The Deployment

This was a great deployment. It had a lot of challenges. I had to do a lot of counseling and dealing with other soldier issues and soldiers in crisis. This was also a great educational experience for me. What would I do different? I think I need to offer classes on finance and on relationship issues for single soldiers and for married soldiers. I was given great material in chaplain school but I wasn't able to use it this time. I was able to form great relationships. Many of the soldiers here love me. The Ugandans love me to-and expect me to go to Uganda and preach an evangelistic crusade there!

How I feel

I am weary from being on deployment for a long time. I have been busy preparing for this deployment since the fall of 2008 and I have been on duty since May 2009. I feel mentally and emotionally drained.

What I am going to do now

I think the first thing I need to do is rest, relax and unwind. I will need to visit family and catch up with "normal" life. Soon after I get back I need to go to Chicago to promote my books on Aramaic to the Assyrian community there.

Life in a Day

Youtube had a "Life in a Day" project in which people all around the world we asked to submit material from July 24th, 2010 documenting their life during that day so that Kevin Macdonald and Ridley Scott can use that material to make a movie about one day in the life of planet earth. I decided that it would be great for me to participate in that experiment. I filmed my day and submitted some video clips from it and posted them on youtube. You can see my "Life in a Day" videos at www.youtube.com/aramaic12.

Assyrian Martyrs Day

On August 7, 1933, over 300 Assyrian refugees were fired on with machine guns by the Iraqi government. The officers who carried out this massacre were given commendations. Assyrians remember this date every year as "Assyrian Martyrs Day." The Assyrians are the indigenous Aramaic Christians of Iraq.

Upcoming Plans

I am going to try to get into a doctoral program, probably with Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. I do have a few research projects I am working on, including one on Moses and the Exodus.

Remember my Books

Remember the books I have available:

My books: The Words of Jesus in the Original Aramaic, Mary of Magdala, Treasures of the Language of Jesus, Aramaic: The Language of Jesus of Nazareth, Christ the Man and the upcoming The Hammer of God. From www.amazon.com.

My Comics: The Assyrians: The Oldest Christian People, Chronicles: Facts from the Bible, and "The Hammer of God" series. From www.comixpress.com.

I want to thank everyone for their supports and their prayers during this deployment. Please continue to hold us up in your prayers. Continue to pray for all our soldiers and for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Words of Christ

Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you. I don't give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be distressed or intimidated." (John 14:27-31) Jesus gives us a genuine and eternal peace-something the world canno0t offer us. Jesus also tells us do not let your heart be distressed or intimidated! The devil is out there-but he is a defeated foe and we have greater power than he. Lastly, we must follow Christ's example and obey the Lord.

What Chaplains do

What is the chaplaincy about? It is about sharing the love of God and showing human compassion. I have counseled many soldiers with a wide range of issues-anger issues, marital issues and many other problems. I notified and provided comfort to several soldiers who suffered the loss of a loved one and endured many other tragedies. I have intervened with suicidal soldiers on several instances. Often I was awoken in the middle of the night to assist a soldier in crisis. Many soldiers have come to me in my office. But I was determined that rather than have soldiers come to me, I would go to them. I visited my wounded soldiers in the CSH. During the most oppressive heat I visited my soldiers at the ECPs, guard towers and guard points-even going "outside the wire" to do so. I also visited my soldiers who were on duty during the late hours of the night. I went on missions with my soldiers and visited my soldiers who were in downtown Baghdad. I looked out for distressed soldiers and interceded to help those in need. I provided religious coverage for my Eastern Orthodox, Jewish and Islamic soldiers. I was determined that all my soldiers would see me and know who I was. I was also a chaplain to our Ugandan soldiers and our interpreters. Of course, I would also let my soldiers know about our religious services. Sometimes I would get the response, "Thanks, Chaplain, but I am not religious." I often respond by saying, "That's okay-I just want you to know that I am always here for you." I know my imperfections. In spite of myself, I know I have done good here and have made a difference in the lives of many soldiers. There are many chaplains out there who are better chaplains than me-and we all play a vital role. I came on this deployment for several reasons, but principally because I love soldiers. I believe in what America is doing in Iraq and I believe God spoke to my heart-and told me that it was his will for me to minister here.